McNeil Blast Cools Off Houston In 7-2 Win
Maybe the gift got Jeff McNeil going.
Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Mic’d up Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña misplayed a routine pop-up in the second inning whilst chatting with the Apple TV+ broadcast booth. McNeil, who entered Friday hitting .170 in June and .213 on the season, was credited with an infield single after the ball bounced in front of Peña and behind third baseman Alex Bregman, who looked like he gave way thinking Peña called for it. A frustrated Peña told the booth it was “bad communication.”
McNeil didn’t stop there. In the sixth inning, he lined a three-run homer over the wall in right to chase Ronel Blanco and help lift the New York Mets to a 7-2 victory over the Astros (40-41) at Citi Field. The Mets (40-39) have now won 12 of their last 14 games and are over .500 for the first time since May 2. In the process, they snapped the Astros’ seven-game winning streak.
The two teams entered Friday not quite as mirror images, but strikingly close.
They both entered with a .500 record, with each team getting there on Wednesday after falling double-digit games below the break-even mark in May. They both picked up the pace in June, New York going 15-6 and Houston 15-7, which represented the best records in their respective leagues this month.
The managers – Carlos Mendoza and Joe Espada – were double-play partners in independent ball during their playing days according to an excellent article in The Athletic. To further keep the similarities rolling, both skippers’ lineups feature sluggers named Alvarez in the middle of the order.
Houston opened the scoring after Jose Altuve homered on the first pitch of the game off Jose Quintana before Francisco Alvarez tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame.
In the third, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez slid in safely just ahead of Francisco Alvarez’s tag attempt to give the Astros a 2-1 lead after a Peña single. Tyrone Taylor hit a solo homer to tie it at 2-2 in the fourth.
Quintana labored through four innings, giving up two runs on six hits and three walks while throwing 54 of 93 pitches for strikes, fanned seven hitters along the way.
Pete Alonso hit a 419-foot tie-breaking solo homer in the sixth, No. 17 of the season, to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. A Bregman error on a ground ball later in the sixth with two outs extended the inning and allowed McNeil to deliver his big blow. It was McNeil’s fourth dinger of the season and first at Citi Field.
Espada was later ejected by home plate umpire Jim Wolf for arguing a called strike three to Jake Meyers in the seventh.
Francisco Lindor provided some late-inning insurance on an RBI double in the eighth. Adam Ottavino, Dedniel Núñez, Jake Diekman and Reed Garrett combined for five scoreless innings of relief.
As the cherry on top, Jose Iglesias emerged from the clubhouse and put on a postgame performance of his song “OMG”, which officially released today under the artist name Candelita. The song, which has simultaneously become both the Mets’ home run song and rallying cry, drew the entire team onto the field as they celebrated and supported Iglesias just before the previously scheduled fireworks show began.
The vibes at Citi Field
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) June 29, 2024
Stat of the Game
The Mets have homered in 11 consecutive games. The three home runs off Blanco were the first time the Astros pitcher had given up that many in a game this season.
Player of the Game
McNeil was 3-for-4 with a home run and two singles while scoring twice and driving in three runs.
On Deck
The Mets will look to keep it going with Tylor Megill (2-4, 4.81 ERA) on the mound against lefty Framber Valdez (6-5, 3.68 ERA). The 4:10 p.m. ET game will air on WPIX.
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